Prolific US-based Kenyan events connoisseur and musician Simon Javan Okelo has released a new album; a 9-track body of work that sees the versatile entertainment personality further take on his musical side.
‘Madaraka’ is a term synonymous with Okelo’s name, given his wildly successful US festival goes under the same moniker – which perhaps buoyed him to title the album so. Showcasing his linguistic flexibility, the entrepreneur sings majorly in English, Swahili and his native Dholuo dialect – factors that all contribute to the project’s wide-ranging appeal and Afro-centrism. ‘Mama Africa’ and ‘Mombasa’ are some of the standout cuts on the project, with the aforementioned paying homage and bestowing reverence on the motherland.
‘Madaraka Vibes’ entails collaborations with other musicians including Walter Koga, Philip Mbinji, Shanariha Evans and Echo 254. Okelo is in Kenya to promote the LP and has already staged performances in Kisumu and Nairobi, and most recently hosted an invite-only listening session at a Westlands location.
Meanwhile, Okelo is gearing up for the first-ever Kenyan edition of Madaraka Festival that is slated for a December date. This comes months after the much-hyped US Madaraka Festival Tour saw a last minute cancellation. The tour was initially devised to commemorate the show’s 10-year anniversary, with Kenya’s Nyashinski and Savara as some of the headliners.
